Tulsi Gabbard said that her endorsing Bernie Sanders despite warnings, "speaks to the high stakes that exists.” | Getty

Gabbard: People warned me against endorsing Sanders

By ELIZA COLLINS

03/01/2016 11:43 PM EST

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said that even though "a lot of people" warned her against endorsing Bernie Sanders, she did it anyway because of the "high stakes" around the coming election.

The Hawaii Democrat was speaking to MSNBC Tuesday night when host Brian Williams asked her about splitting with many in her party in her endorsement.

“Congresswoman, I know that as an Iraq war veteran, you don’t scare easily, but you obviously have gamed out what happens if by splitting with the Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Hillary Clinton, DNC, and let’s say Sen. Sanders is not successful, how unpleasant life can become for a Democrat in the house under a president Clinton?” Williams asked.

Tulsi Gabbard: People warned me against endorsing Sanders

“I’ll be very honest with you, a lot of people warned me against doing what I did,” Gabbard said. “And what I did speaks to the high stakes that exists.”

Specifically, Gabbard said those "high stakes" were the nation's ongoing war efforts and the fact that she disagrees with Clinton’s foreign policy record.